Among those who have had ongoing neck or back pain for less than 12 months, seven in 10 said they have taken a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), such as Advil, aspirin or Aleve, to manage the pain, and 45 percent have taken acetaminophen, such as Tylenol. One in four of these new neck or back pain suerers say they took an opioid for pain management. Multiple treatment options are available for adults who suer from significant neck or back pain. When asked how eective physical therapy, chiropractic care, back surgery, prescription pain medication and self-care are at treating significant neck or back pain, U.S. adults are most likely to describe physical therapy (41 percent) as “very eective.”
Nearly three in 10 (29 percent) describe chiropractic care as “very eective,” and 22 percent say prescription pain medication is “very eective.” Fewer describe back surgery (15 percent) and self-care (9 percent) as “very eective.” Nearly a third of Americans say prescription pain medication is either “not very safe” (23 percent) or “not safe at all” (8 percent). Few Americans (12 percent) describe prescription pain medication as “very safe.” Adults are more likely to say that physical therapy methods are “very safe” than to say this about the other treatment options given. About two-thirds of adults (68 percent) describe physical therapy as “very safe,” and one-third say the same about chiropractic care. Back surgery is the least likely to be described as “very safe” (6 percent)
About half of Americans (53 percent) say they would prefer to see a medical doctor if they were to experience significant neck or back pain and they knew the cost would be the same to them, regardless of which health care provider they saw. About one in four adults would prefer to see a chiropractor over other health care professionals for significant neck or back pain. While public perceptions of options for drug-free pain management vary, Gallup says its findings suggest that Americans are aware of the dangers associated with opioid misuse and are open to drug-free alternatives for pain management. As concern over the opioid epidemic has grown, non-drug pain management options have gained more attention and acceptance within the medical community. Medical organizations, such as the Joint Commission and the American College of Physicians, have taken important steps to tackle the national opioid epidemic. The Joint Commission, the largest U.S. accreditation body for healthcare facilities, revised its hospital performance measures for pain management to include a requirement that hospitals provide drug-free pain treatments.
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